Small Source of Comfort

Crossed the border laughing
never know what to expect
they wanted to know what church I’m in
and what things I collect
they’re trying to plug holes in the hull
while flames eat up the deck
the captain and his crew
don’t seem to get the disconnect

Passing through the iris of the world
Passing through the iris of the world

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
on a boulder by the shoulder
the paint will likely outlive
both the feeling and the holder
in the age of Global Warming
when all things are growing colder
it’s beautiful the writer
opened up his heart and told her

Passing through the iris of the world
Passing through the iris of the world

I’m good at catching rainbows
not so good at catching trout
I’m good at blowing holes in things
and ranting in self doubt
I’ve got a way with time and space
but numbers freak me out
I’ve mostly dodged the dogmas
of what life is all about

Passing through the iris of the world
Passing through the iris of the world

I’m talking in strange voices
to myself the way I do
the road under the half moon sky
rolls out in shades of blue
I’m raw anticipation
of our rhythmic rendezvous
loving the gift of the loving I get
and the loving I give to you

Passing through the iris of the world
Passing through the iris of the world

My name was Richard Nixon only now I’m a girl
you wouldn’t know it but I used to be the king of the world
compared to last time I look like I’ve hit the skids
living in the project with my two little kids
it’s not what I would of chose
now you have to call me Rose

I was boss of bosses the last time around
I lived by cunning and ambition unbound
the suckers said they’d stand behind me right or wrong
as if they thought that hubris was the mark of the stong
I was an arrogant man
but now I’ve got it in hand
it’s not what I would have chose
now you have to call me Rose

call me Rose
call me Rose it’s not what I would have chose
now you have to call me Rose

My name was Richard Nixon only now I’m a girl
you wouldn’t know it but I used to be the king of the world
I’m back here learning what it is to be poor
to have no power but the strength to endure
I’ll perform my penance well
maybe the memoir will sell
it’s not what I would of chose
now you have to call me Rose

Knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
traffic in my mind, traffic in my mind
knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
it was five fifty-one, gray light creeping through the blind

Small source of comfort, dawn was breaking in the air
breaking in the air, breaking in the air
small source of comfort, dawn was breaking in the air
you don’t take these things for granted when you think of
what’s in need of repair

Out on the sidewalk there was diesel on the breeze
diesel on the breeze, diesel on the breeze
out on the sidewalk there was diesel on the breeze
they’re always getting away with something when they
think there’s no one there to see

Middle of the night cops came kocking on my door
knocking on my door, knocking on my door
middle of the night cops come knocking on my door
still don’t know what my neighbor went and called them for

Knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
traffic in my mind, traffic in my mind
knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
it was five fifty-one, gray light creeping through the blind

My so-called buddy never called me back
called me back, called me back
my so-called buddy never called me back
I don’t know what to think about that

I coulda been croaking on the floor of my flat
floor of my flat, floor of my flat
I coulda been croaking on the floor of my flat
the bugger never called me back

Then again he could have troubles himself
troubles himself, troubles himself
then again he could have troubles himself
I better try him once more

He could be going through a bitter divorce
bitter divorce, bitter divorce
he could be going through a bitter divorce
or a quadruple bypass

Maybe his mother ran afoul of the law
afoul of the law, afoul of the law
maybe his mother ran afoul of the law
you never know with that gang

He coulda slid into a society scene
society scene, society scene
he coulda slid into a society scene
and left his old friends behind

My so-called buddy never called me back
called me back, called me back
my so-called buddy never called me back
I don’t know what to think about that
the bugger never called me back
I better try him once more

Silver rain sings dancing rhyme
sunlight on blue water
rocky shore grown soft with moss
catches all our laughter
and it sends it back without its edge
to strengthen us anew
that we may walk within these walls
and share our gifts with you

March 15, 1968 – Toronto

Musicians:
BC – Vocal, Baritone Guitar, Guitar

With a career that has spanned four decades producing an acclaimed body of work that has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, Bruce Cockburn continues to be revered by fans and fellow musicians alike as one of the most important songwriters of his generation.

Small Source of Comfort is Cockburn’s first studio album in six years — a rhythmic and highly evocative collection of 14 new tracks inspired by his renowned unusual and diverse muse — recent trips to Afghanistan and ponderings on the re–incarnation of Richard Nixon, to road trips and unreturned phone calls. The album boasts some of the best musicians recording today, including violinist Jenny Scheinman, former Wailin’ Jenny Annabelle Chvostek, and long time collaborators Gary Craig, Jon Dymond and producer Colin Linden.

As both a songwriter and a guitarist, Bruce Cockburn is considered among the world’s best. The New York Times called him a “virtuoso on guitar,” while Acoustic Guitar magazine placed him in the esteemed company of Andrés Segovia, Bill Frisell and Django Reinhardt. ~True North

Album Info:

Liner Notes (front) written by Bruce Cockburn:

“When the last studio album, Life Short Call Now, was released, I felt that it was time for something different. I had a vision of music, electric and noisy, with songs and jackhammers and fiercely distorted guitars. To pursue music like that, you need isolation. In the initial stages at least, there’s likely to be more noise than music. It’s important not to incite your neighbors to violent acts.

“As things turned out, these last few years have been spent hanging out in urban settings mostly; in apartments where sound travels, with only brief periods of solitude, mostly found doing long distance drives. As a result, what’s come out is a collection of folkier, acoustic guitar songs and pieces. Just goes to show, you just never know…”

The Iris Of The World (Camden East 11/01/09) – “I did a lot of driving between Kingston, Ontario and Brooklyn, NY. Not to mention many other places. Me and peak oil and love.”

Call Me Rose (Montreal 19/01/05) – “Woke up one morning with these words pretty much fully formed in my head. Why? Indeed? Something to do with power and responsibility. What would it take to REALLY rehabilitate, not just the image (as the Bush folks tried to do), but the soul of Richard Nixon?”

Bohemian 3-Step – “Jenny Scheinman and I were approached about putting together a demo with respect to creating a score for a major Hollywood film. In the end, the director didn’t like our ideas, but we had a lot of fun working on it. This piece was composed by me, but was heavily influenced by the stuff Jenny was coming up with.”

Radiance (Camden East 12/07/09) – “I read an interview with Jungian psychologist Marion Woodman in which she made a reference to the Divine Feminine representing the radiance which pervades the cosmos. I liked the image. Then, driving down the road at sunset, I saw the first verse unfold.”

Five Fifty-One (Brooklyn 3/08) – “Brooklyn…”

Driving Away (Montreal, winter 2007)– “One day Annabelle Chvostek called me wondering if I’d be interested in writing a song with her. I haven’t done much co-writing over the years. I thought why not? I knew Annabelle was good and it seemed timely to try it. She had a lot of the lyrics and the music for the verses already. Later on we wrote another one…”

Lois On The Autobahn – “To the afterlife, that is… The music was inspired by a piece of Jenny’s. Lois is my late mother.”

Boundless (Montreal 04/02/09) – “This is the other song Annabelle and I wrote together. This time I had much of the verbiage in bits and pieces. The road…goes from here to eternity…”

Called Me Back (Camden East 27/01/09) – “Everybody’s too damn busy these days…”

The Comets Of Kandahar – “Among many exciting things encountered during a short trip to Afghanistan was the sight of jet fighters taking off after dark. The planes themselves invisible, there was only the roar and the glowing purple cone of tailpipe flame shooting across the sky. People would stop and watch. A Canadian soldier who stood next to me said, ‘the comets of Kandahar.'”

Each One Lost (Camden East 13/09/09) – “On the way into Kandahar Airfield from Ottawa, our little group spend a few hours at Camp Mirage, a Canadian staging base in the Middle East. As we were about to board our next plane, we found ourselves part of a Ramp Ceremony, honouring the remains of two young Canadian Forces members who had been killed that day and were being sent home. One of the saddest and most moving scenes I’ve ever been privileged to witness…this song is dedicated to the memory of Major Yannick Pépin and Corporal Jean-Francois Drouin.”

Parnassus And Fog – “San Francisco magic and mystery”

Ancestors – “Live, I’ve been playing the singing bowl part myself. In the studio, Gary Craig was there to do that. More bowls, more good…”

Gifts (Toronto, 15/03/68) – “Way back when, I used to close my shows with this song. Never seemed right to record it until now.”

Recorded at The Bathhouse, Bath, Ontario
and Pinhead Recorders, Nashville,TN
Mixed at the legendry Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA

Thanks to Jeffery Wood, Janice Powers, Bernie breen, Sharon Agnello

Mastered by: Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound

All songs written by Bruce Cockburn and published by Golden Mountain Music Corp. (SOCAN)
except Driving Away and Boundless which are written by Bruce Cockburn and Annabelle Chvostek
and published by Golden Mountain Music Corp. and Annabelle Chvostek (SOCAN)